Top Ten Companies in Ballistic and Ancillary Protective Gear

The U.S. ballistic and ancillary protective gear market was $1.3 billion
in 2010 and is expected to reach $1.4 billion in 2012. This figure is
projected to reach $1.9 billion in 2017 yielding a compound annual growth rate
(CAGR) of 5.8% between 2012 and 2017.

The protective head gear sector within the U.S. was $781 million in 2010
and is expected to reach $860 million in 2012. The projected estimate for 2017
is $1.1 billion given a CAGR of 4.8% between 2012 and 2017.

The ballistic body and vehicle armor and gear sector in the U.S. was $508
million in 2010 and is expected to reach $587 million in 2012. The sector
should increase at a CAGR of 7.2% to reach $832 million in 2017.

SCOPE OF REPORT

The markets for protective ballistic gear and armor markets remain a
fragmented industry. There are significant and specific segments of the
protective gear and armor industry designed to perform specific tasks and are
rated as to their effectiveness. Within each of those segments are a variety
of players, including government organizations that create, develop and
enforce regulations and standards, raw material suppliers, fiber and fabric
manufacturers, mills and fabric producers, finished goods manufacturers, and
suppliers and distributors. The supply chain is complex. The focus of this
report is on the major equipment designers and suppliers of the products. To
emphasize the complexity, it may be that one large corporation through many of
its divisions and business units can be involved in all sectors of the supply
chain.

What is termed “body armor or bulletproof armor” is better termed
as individual ballistic protection. There are strict NIJ (National Institute
of Justice) standards that body armor must meet for various levels of
protection. Vehicular armor includes bullet and fragmentation-resistant
vehicles, up-armored and purpose built vehicles that are used in both law
enforcement and military applications. The retrofitting of the vehicles uses
the same types of materials and some of the newer engineered in-place vehicle
armor.

In this report, BCC Research identifies the top 10 companies in the ballistic
and blast protection market. Factors taken into account included technical
innovations, market leadership and commitment to this market via investment in
products. In selecting these top 10 companies, BCC Research looked across the
industry spectrum and selected the most active and significant contributors
while recognizing that there are other contenders in this very complex and
multifaceted market sector. Some of these “significant others”
are included but to a less detailed extent than the top 10 companies that are
the focus. The levels of ownership are more detailed for the “top
10.”

Although there are frequent mentions in military documents and in the popular
press concerning nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC or NBCR) equipment,
this is excluded from our discussion. There is no truly protective clothing
for severe nuclear threats such as a battlefield nuclear explosion or a
Chernobyl-level nuclear accident. When gamma rays are present in force and
quantity, the effective absorbers might be lead or the misnomer
“depleted” uranium. Respirators and clothing do help, but the
best solution is situational awareness.

ANALYST CREDENTIALS

Anna Welch Crull, a chemist and experienced private consultant, is qualified
in electrochemistry, polymers, membrane materials and advanced materials. Ms.
Crull has worked with BCC Inc. (now BCC Research) for more than 30 years and
has authored more than 114 technical/marketing reports, helped establish 10
technical newsletters, and assisted in numerous special consulting studies and
conferences for more than 35 corporations and supplied business intelligence
and research for U.S. government entities. She has worked for the U.S. Army
Materials Command on rocket technology, propellants and explosives. Ms. Crull
is a graduate of the School of Engineering, University of Mississippi and
holds a master's degree in Chemistry from the University of Missouri.

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